title: Lean health care.
abstract: Principles of Lean management are being adopted more widely in health care as a way of improving quality and safety while controlling costs. The authors, who are chief executive officers of rural North Carolina hospitals, explain how their organizations are using Lean principles to improve quality and safety of health care delivery.
authors.affiliation: Columbus Regional Healthcare System, 500 Jefferson St, Whiteville, NC 28472, USA. hhawthorne@crhealthcare.org
authors.forename: Henry C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Hawthorne
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Masterson
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration*